Construction of bridges



PA-TBNTED JAN. 26, 1904.

No. 750,475. l

J. P. MORTON. CONSTRUCTION 0F BRIDGES.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 7, 1903.

l N0 MODEL.

'zj. I. lf Q I UNITED STATES Patented January 26, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN F. MORTON, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGrNOR OF ONE-HALF TO DAVID A. MORTON, OF MONTAUK, MISSOURI.

CONSTRUCTION OF BRIDGES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters :Patent `No. 750,475, dated January 26, 1904.

Application filed May 7, 1903. Serial No; 156,060. (No model.)

T0 all whom, t may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN F. MORTON, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Construction of Bridges; and I do declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art towhich it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form apart of this speciiication.

his invention relates to new and useful improvements in the construction of bridges,and in carrying out the present invention it is my aim to generally improve upon the construction of bridge upon which I have been granted Letters Patent in the United States No. 725,753, and comprises a construction of trussbridge in which two sections are disposed at an angle to each other and securely bolted together at their meeting ends and their opposite ends are adapted to bear against and be supported by suitable piers.

The invention consists,`further, in various details of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts, which will be hereinafter fully described and then specifically defined in the appended claim.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a side elevation of my improved construction of bridge. Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view. Fig. 3 is a top plan View. Fig. i is a sectional view vertically through one side of the bridge. Fig. 5 is asectional view taken on line 5 5 of Fig. l.

Reference now being had to the details of the drawings by letter, A A designate a series of brace-blocks having their ends connected to brace-blocks B by mortise-and-tenon joints, said blocks B being at angles to one another, as show n clearlyin the drawings.

D D designate brace-blocksof a series which is parallel to the series of blocks A and arranged oppositc the meeting ends of the blocks B in a similar manner as above described of blocksA and B. At the outer ends of each series of beams or blocksB and D are secured the vertical beams D.

Referring to Fig. 2 of the drawings, it will be observed that the cross-beams F are fastened to the series of beams A and intersect one another at right angles, each beam F being recessed on adjacent faces to receive one another in such amanner that their upper and lower faces when fastened to the series of beams A will be flush.

The top of the bridge is made up of crossbeams E, which are similar in construction to the beams F and, intersecting each other in pairs, have their ends connected to the blocks D. Bolts G are passed through registering grooves in the meeting ends of the beams B and also through the blocks A, the ends of the bolts being preferably countersunken and adapted to hold the parts securely together, while reinforcing-bolts H are passed through the end beams D and the adjacent vertical beams in order to securely hold the same together. Bolts I are passed transversely through the beams D and serve to hold the sides of the bridge from spreading.

The two sections of the bridge thus described have vertical beams N, which are secured togeth er by means of bolts O,and metallic plates Q, are fastened to said vertical beams N and are secured together by means of bolts R, which pass from one side of the girder to the other. Truss-rods T are horizontally disposed and fastened 'through the ends of the bridge-section, and bolts 1W are fastened to said truss-rods and are anchored at their' upper ends to the vertical meeting beams of the bridge.

By the provision of the construction of bridge illustrated it will be observed that the various beams cooperate in equalizing the strain in different directions and the whole forming a compact arrangement of structure in which the weight of the bridge is supported upon the ends by the angled arrangement of the two sections.

While I have shown a particular construction of bridge, it will be understood that I may make alterations in the details of the same without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

A bridge made up of two inclined sections,

5 each section comprising two series of beams obliquely disposed in vertical planes, mortised together at angles to one another, parallel series of beams mortised to the meeting ends of said series which are disposed at Vertical IO planes, two series or' intersecting cross-brace beams parallel with each other and mortised to said parallel series of beams, bolts holding the beams together, vertically-disposed meeting beams fastened to each section and bolted together, plates bolted to said meeting beams I 5 and to each other, a truss-rod connecting the outer ends of the sections, and a rod fastened to said truss-rod and engaging said meeting beams, as shown and described.'

In testimony whereof I hereunto aiiX my 2O signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN F. MORTON.

Witnesses:

Doss DUNLAP, MICHAEL WOLF. 

